THANK YOU ...
... to event supporters
Thank you, RMEF supporters.
Recently, the Treasure Valley chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation held its 25th annual banquet and benefit auction in Boise. The event was a huge success due to many contributing factors.
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the donors for their generous contributions, and to those who attended the banquet for their dedication and support of RMEF's mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
We would also like to thank the members and passionate volunteers of the committee who spent countless hours making this event such a success.
Because of the above factors, all of our children, grandchildren and generations to come will be the beneficiaries of the legacy we are leaving behind.
ROBERT LEE AND MIKE WILSON, chairmen of the RMEF Treasure Valley Chapter, Boise
... to generous people
There are good people out there. My wife and I stopped at the Starbucks on Eagle and McMillan roads.
We bought our coffee from the friendliest service staff that you can imagine.
I told the barista at the drive-through window that I would pay for the next customer through no matter what the order was. The customer said "Thank you very much," and let me buy the coffee for the next car in line.
While we sat there drinking our coffee, eight cars in a continuous row purchased coffee for their fellow man behind them. I was pleased and felt very warm inside. Keep it up friendly Meridian coffee drinkers - I love you! Pay it forward.
STEVE MCCAIN, Meridian
MEDICAL EDUCATION
Board should revisitstand on a state school
Current online survey, comparative costs of Quality Medical Education, data supported by American Medical Colleges, provides comparative costs of Quality American Medical Schools.
This report is very significant for Idaho.
Average annual tuition and fees, private medical schools - $56,000.
Average annual tuition and fees, 64 public medical schools - $28,000
Average tuition and fees 10 least costly state medical schools - $17,000
$12,000 to $19,300 University of Arizona, two medical schools, Phoenix and at Tucson.
Of 10 least costly schools, nine have coveted ranking of among 75 best American medical schools.
WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho - a five state partnership with the University of Washington School of Medicine) annual
WWAMI Idaho per student - $43,000
Add student yearly personal fees- $26,000
Total annual Idaho fees each WWAMI student -$69,000
It appears that now may be the time for Idaho Board of Education or Legislature to re-evaluate the development of a distributive Idaho medical school using as the basic foundation all quality medical education in our universities, the excellent current clinical and hospital facilities, and WWAMI.
LLOYD CALL, M.D., Pocatello
PEACE & LOVE
Better understandingcan promote change
Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we could change this world?
If we could eliminate bias, prejudice, social discrimination, racism, along with all sorts of hate and disdain?
I have news for you. We can! If we can become more willing to be open and strive to understand one another's points of views. If we can accept the fact that not everybody will believe in the same god, have the same customs, the same language or the same skin color. If we learn to accept and love one another for who we are and for what we believe in and stand for, then we can set ourselves and those around us up for a better tomorrow.
Gandhi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
Well, the change I wish to see is that as people, as a community, as neighbors we can learn to love one another, support one another, accept one another and be a friend for one another.
It is never easy, but if we try then that change will radiate to those around us and spark change in t his world.
JAMES BOYETTE, Boise
CHANGE OF HEART?
Population control
I long opposed allowing women in military combat units. I also opposed homosexuals in the military and in the Boy Scouts. I likewise objected to unnecessary wars and nut cases owning guns.
But now, I think I recognize why these are needed.
Our insightful leaders seem to have decided it is time to attack the world's growing population problem. With a net increase of tens of millions every year, it does seem that action of some kind is needed. Starting additional wars and putting women in combat will help, particularly if all-female units can be given the most dangerous assignments. Allowing homosexual marriage and encouraging homosexuality in every possible way should also help. The military is a great place for homosexuals.
The Boy Scouts can also assist if they decide to cooperate and Girl Scouts may be encouraged to participate as well.
Abortion on request must be continued, of course, because so many people find it inconvenient to take other birth control measures.
It is a relief to finally realize how badly in error were my old fashioned attitudes, and why.
DON ADAIR, Boise
DOLLAR STORE KIDS
State pays for junk food
Is there no sanity left? Every time I'm at the Dollar Store I see kids buying handfuls of candy and junk food and using some debit card from the state to pay for it. (food stamps). So now we taxpayers pay to destroy their teeth and get blamed if we don't spend enough to fix them. Somebody, please get a grip.
JEANNIE K. JONES, Boise
GOVERNMENT
Lawmakers driveeducation in tank
Congratulations again Idahoans. After finishing 50th in state average income, you have worked hard to finish 48th in the quality of education, once again finishing behind that great center of quality learning, Mississippi.
You did beat Alaska (must be Sarah Palin's influence) and South Dakota (another forward-looking red state). Special credit was given to the worthless Legislature for substantial cuts in the education budget. This has happened while taxes have been cut for businesses and the wealthy requiring increased taxes for homeowners.
The clowns in the Legislature, who belong in 1913 instead of 2013, are again proposing another substantial cut in business taxes. This will be made up for by "local option" taxes as in increased sales and property taxes.
The only bigger clowns than those in the Legislature are those clowns that continue to elect them.
MONROE BRADLEY, Boise
Congress catersto special interests
The grand design of the Constitution was to allow people, through their representatives, to determine the destiny of this great country. Yet, what we have in most cases are members of Congress who surrender to special interests and to their regional constituencies instead of serving the general welfare. We often read that polls reveal "a majority of the American people believe in and support ..." yet too often these representatives don't reflect the views of the electorate. Rather, they represent those pressure groups that elect them. Again, those in Congress generally show greater loyalty to their party and the narrow interests that put them in power.
We cannot help but conclude that our constitutional forefathers didn't envision how their great design would be corrupted by those who place their election and reelection as more important than serving the will of the people. There are always a few representatives who place principle above party and put the country first, but they are few and even they don't always do so consistently. Maybe the reality we have to live with is that the human species is endowed with flaws of character and this country will always be a victim of a somewhat depraved humanity.
HARRY A. DENNIS, Boise
STATEHOUSE
Guns and janitors
The articles on Bryan Carter, the man who joined a Boy Scout tour as a "cover" while carrying a gun on his hip, have left me bewildered.
The first article made quite a fuss about the gun. Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill was certainly uncomfortable, noting that he wouldn't want six guys sitting in the front row with shotguns across their laps.
The second article stressed that Mr. Carter was "wandering" through the House chamber taking photographs of lawmakers' desks and reaching into the trash for a discarded paper.
Which of these grievous infractions caused the knee-jerk reaction to change visiting hours? We certainly don't want our "good" citizens to be unarmed as we all need our guns in case we run into one of our "bad" citizens, right? If people are not able to go through our politicians trash cans in the evenings, how will we ever know what is really going on with our representatives? How do we find out about the back-room deals, secret meetings or vote buying by PACs who actually run our government?
What is a lowly citizen to do? What happens to janitors? Will they all be out of work?
DIANE PULSIPHER, Weiser
Give guns to all
I see where the Idaho Politburo is back in session. Busy as usual trying to take money away from education and give it to law enforcement.
Several weeks ago, Rep. Bedke was concerned about an armed man in the Capitol.
Easy solution, issue every representative an AK-47 and maybe a couple of hand grenades.
You never know when some armed perp will need to be blown out of the basement.
While we're at it, let's change the name of the state to The People's Republic of Idaho.
Our blind lemming electorate seems incapable of electing anyone with common sense or intelligence.
PAT KENDALL, Boise
REPUBLICANS
Don't expect GOPto work for change
Have you ever noticed that the people claiming America is the greatest nation in the world are the same ones that need guns to protect themselves from it? Confused, I'd say, and paranoid about it.
Maybe we could help by requiring completion of a political science course as a prerequisite to gun ownership. Maybe then they'd realize that their vote is where the power's at in this country and they'd stop shooting themselves in the foot with it. Like when they vote Republican. Most are going to need Social Security and Medicare far more than an assault rifle.
Republicans have no qualms about changing how the electoral college works, or leaving people out of the process entirely. Republicans have no qualms about changing how the Senate filibusters or denying the will of the majority.
So it's clear to me that our Founding Fathers or the Constitution, have nothing to do with their concerns over the Second Amendment.
It's about whether it helps them win elections or not and they ignore the consequences. Just like they do starting wars or polluting the planet.
LARRY LUGAR, Boise
